Boat-whistle.



V. FENDRIGH.

Patented Jan. 4, 1910.

a. 1 I E! LA fl mm .d w T N m T Anventor: vmwvm iemMc u :QW awb My VALENTINE FENDRICH, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

1 BOAT-WHISTLE.

Specification of Letters Fatent.

Patented Jan. 4, 1910.

Application 8116 May i8, 1866. Serial No. 33,425.

To alt whom it may concem:

Bfeit known that I, VALENTINE Far onxcn, a citizen of the United States, residing at Brookl 'n, county of Kings, and State of New Xork, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Boat-Whistles, of which the following is a specification.

My mventicn relates to nautical signaling apparatus and improvements therein, of w 10h apparatus the most ordinary illustration 48 the steamboat whistle in which a sound signal is produced by steam. ,A river ferryboat is an example of a steamboatin which this species 0 signal is frequently used; and as is well known, the whistle is notmerely for the purpose of announcing that a vessel is present or approaching, nor the presence of danger, but is to convey intelligence as to the course which one vessel Wlll pursue relatively to another or others. Thus one blast or two blasts of the whistle maybe blown to indicate whether the sigvessel is to pass to the mrt or starextreruel important that such signals should mvarmh y be correctly interpreted, and

- often confusion results if there be even a slight darkness or mist, and this is,:n1ore truly the case if the weather be foggy or stormy, es ecially where a num r of ve ssels happen to e near together. It then becomes highly necessary that a pilot can distinguish as between the other vessels, from which one the signaling comes, and also whether the signal given y a certain vessel is Oil one blast or two. Apparatuses have beendevised which in realitv consist of two independent signals, namely, the whistle and an independent visual signal such as a special arrangement of lights located perhaps in a difi'erent part pf t e vessel; ,but such arrangements as these impose twice the attention 'upon a ll 0lJ besides requirin some arbitrary or anc1ful arrangemento the lights constitutmg the visual s' nal, so tliat the sam can b no possibility confused with the man anterns and other lights which wil be m view. H

I have in my invention departed from prior apparatus by having only one signal, ut one which is both seen and heard, it bemg a signal which uires a blast of steam or vapor which not on y sounds the whistle, but isto be illuminated s hereinafter (lescrzbed. The escaping s m thus affords a signal both audible and visible, and 'its visi ble form being that of a jetof steam, is distinctive in character and not to be mistaken by the pilot of another vessel.

To the above ends my invention contemplates in connection with a steam-blown whistle, of a means of lighting so located as to illuminate the jet of steam or other vapor employed to sound the whistle; also to such means of lighting when inclosed or bored in in a manner to render the lights themselves invisible except from above; also to such means of lighting when provided with apparatus for causing it to intermittently become luminous.

The form of invention which I will hereinafter describe will be one in which the intermittent lighting is caused to take place automatically at the time that the whistle is blown, and preferably by means of the same mechanism which blows the whistle.

I wil first describe a form of whistle embodying the principles of my invention and then point out the novel features in the claims.

In the accom anying drawin which forms a part of iris specification, figure 1 is a vertical elevation partly in section of one form of apparatus embodying my invention. F i 2 is a diagrammatical view of the electric connect-ions.

A re resents a whistle such as a stean boat w istle which may be of any desired forth and the details of which form no part of my invention.

B represents the whistle valve, the details of which likewise are of no special importense; and 6 represents a whistle lever which cooperates with the valve B in a well known way so as to open the latter when the lever is pulled. p

D represents the whistle cord which usuall passes to the pilot-house.

he construction of the parts already described-is such that when the cord D is pulled, the valve B is opened and the whistle .lS blown by the escape usually of steam do not limit nlyse f to the. precise locationshown, it. only being necessary that these lights shall be so located that when they are luminous and when the whistle IS blown the lights will illuminate the jet. of steam. l

' oe shut oti altogether during the tl: \'l!lil.. 70

preferably, however, locate these lights di rectly beneath t whistle and for convenience in a form 01' a circle or part: circle surrounding or near the steam pipe which leads to the whistle. The number of the lights E is not material so long as the number is sutlicient to properly illuminate the steam. necessarily in an ele atcd position may not be visible except from above, that is in order that they may not be seen from other pilot houses or cast light upon the deck of the vessel carrying the apparatus, I prefer to shown connected in )tll'illltjl.

inclose the said lights. For this purpose a box-like structure such as I may be employed, which box may be covered with glass if desired and preferably nas a bottom composed of a reflecting surface such as a glass mirror or polished metallic surface I and this surface may be concaved if desired to better direct the light rays toward the steam jet.

My preferred use of my invention con templates that the whistle and surrounding parts shall'be in darkness before the whistle 1s blown and simultaneously with the blowing of the whistle the illumination shall begin. This is of value because a contrast between the absolute darkness and the 'brilliantly lighted jet of steam will better attract the attention of other pilots who when a whistle is blown will look for the luininated jet to identify the vessel blowing it.

Intermittent means for causing the lights to become luminous and dark alternately may be employed for this purpose and is preferably automatic. \Vhen electric lights are employed this may be accomplished as follows:

G represents a stationary pivot and ll a lever which may turn about said Jivot. The n per end of said lever H is at t connected directly or indirectly to the whistle lever C or to the whistle cord 1) so that when the cord is pulled and the whistle is blown the lever II will also be rotated. At the lower end of lever H is an electric contact K and cooperating with this is a stationary con tact. L, located in the path of movement of the contact K so that'- the two will meet when the whistle is blown and separate wh n the whistle cord is released and the sound ceases. A tension spring M will serve to restore the parts to the position shown in the drawin' Electrical connections of any suitable tle scription may be employed in an obvious way so that the contact, between K and L will throw the 1am s E in circuit and cause them to light up w on the whistle is blown. Such an arrangement is shown diagramln order ihat these. lights which are t i rays. electrical mom niatically in Fig. 2, in which X represents a dynamo or other generator, and l repre seats a controlling switch located preferably in the pilot-house whereby the lamps can and the other letters of reference ct'irresponrl with Fig. 1.

According to the diagram of Fig. 2', the proper circuits are indicated in Fig. l, in which a before N represents the generator. Ir represents an electrical connection or wire extending from the generator, to the contact K. Said coatact is insulated from the lever ll by means oian insulating block is. Circuits le'cxtend from the contact L to go the lamps, and circuits la extend from the. generator to the lamps, the lamps being Now with the switch 1 close it' tae contacts 1; and l are made to touch, there will obviously be euras rent passing from the generator to the lamp to illuminate them, while the breaking 01 contact L, K will cut oil the current therefrom.

W hat I claim and desire to secure by Lettors Patent is: v

1. In a nautical signaling apparatus, a sound- 'oducing device consistmg of a whistle lilown by vapor, a vapor controlling device or valve, and means tlt't'itslblf: to the pilot. or opening and closing said valve; in combination with a source of light having an inelosing wall for cuttir" oil i :1 horizontal rays, said source of li angedto 'lluminate the jets 0L from said whistle when blown, uni I thereby automatieall supplement the sound signal by brilliant v showing up the \agaj-r'jets, thus giringa. clear visual indication of the whereabouts and identity of the signaling vessel, 10o means for controlling the source of light, and connections whereby said light control ling means operated autonuhically by said valve opening and closing means so that the illumination takes place. whenever and only w hen the sound signal is blowing.

2. Ana-utical steam wl stle. having avalve. device for cheating its o eration, and a whistle cord for opening and closmgsaid valve, in combination w h a number of incandeseent electric light encath the whistle, means inelosing Hill i tor directing, the rays upward and cett. oil the horiv il ior sa d h s and a device opez'zztrc i-.'mticali hp valve opening a: closing means for trolling Hai i ..lt". *co the lights are lip h' no on! ml, the. whistle is blotzr In witness wlnsxt if l nucunlo am. at" on hand, this 15th din ol 7 t.- ill-(2%.

I VAlLlJZNllNtzl l l JNl/lil Vt itnesses l lmzamrrii. Ii. limo, (.no. L. linnanocii. 

